The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-02
THE ROACH AND HIS WAYS.
An INSECT THAT Ig THE ZANE or NEW
FORK H0USEWITEa
where no Cenes fror, Hew he Lsves, and
what r. Good for hius-What he Eats and
what Eats hin-Tales About IHlra.


A powerful force In modern domestic life,
and one that has received far loss than its
due share OF attention from writer's on social
economy. political science, total depravity, and
kindred topics, In tho meek and lowly COCK
roach. The cockroach 10 not beast Of grim
visage and horrid mein. nor yot being who
conauers by'his gentle grace and beauty. Ho
has mild, insinuatina way about him, and IL
timld as hare. He cannot burst the boiler In
the kitchen a. vol as the servant girl can, nor
can no move tho piano In tho front parlor 90
that the damp draft from the window
ruins II In two weeks. but he can
spoil more food than two men can eat, which IL
above the servant girls average. and can move
. whole family into depths Of depravity and
profanity for which years Of Righteousness
cannot atone. Tho chief beauty OF all this 10
It's perfect unconsoiousness. The roach is no
moro deliberately and Intentionally destructive
Of human peace Of mind than pretty girl in q
serenely gentle thing in nature than the as
poet Of q boiled roach In tho bottom Of q cup
from which tho coffee has Just been drunken,
and yet how moving is the spectaclel
Patient and thorough Investigation by man
Of scionco and experience has proved with
satisfactory oonclusiveness that there II o
foundation Of truth in the ancient legend, that
the sparks from the swords OF tho fiery angels
who thrust Adam and Eve out OF the Garden
Of Eden turned to reaches as they struck the
earth. Other vermin may, as tho legend runs,
have come to earth In the same way, but there
can DO no mistake about the reaches. There
are lot Of the old original ones left now In
museums and private collections-in rock
boniieroEs formation@. oSrboniieroas y" ior ma
ton ts another name for coal rocks.in this
did not differ much from those Of the present
oosdns 30 any wv worse. and Il Isn't IN roaeh's
nature to be any better:
humanity ever Since written Sistory began. but
arisen II Civilized con@unities Shelly Within
sSSs ins9ssst tnS "a. ssspcssd e a
digenons In this country; It iiyes IN the fslds.
S9 So@s
and freeide came from the Levant in ships and
o. 70
completely taken possession.s At dst as In
this COUNTRY. z vas confined to seaport towns
Eitcben sinks gave It the moisture which
sa,sd sna COMING
se na ths a%d & ITS p1essnes
eoass an e1tent that Is Almost nseierabe: The
dsnss fs 'is e s:s ni
steam pipes all over buildings Of every sort.
ONCE bSildnSs and stores sss rs much 81. over s:
there there are men In Now YORK Who make q bust
81 he pess Isss
this professional work docs no permanent good.
o9t only Sbnfs relief 1op m snsa.,o
grasshopper family, scientifically he 10 .
doesn't use. and that are absent entirely IN the
females Of most species, q black Or reddish:
the bug Isn't Killed first Long. swi-shSped
head The RSss WI al Slss s snXtSSias ny
Shoes are some IL tReir deioseies IN dwell
ings their usual forage is tho crumbs and
are essentially nocturnal. disappearing into
chinks and Grev1ces the moment light ap-
es l hsz fs icy fS Srsos
much around during the aayiIshE 's0
sasps fs%ss n" The eass s1s
eighths Of an inch long and, half as wide In
this the eggs. about thirty In number. lie like
IN Da Ss s aS s s .o The v Hs
baby reaches out, after which Il closes tight
again and gives NO sign that the eggs are not
are hatched, draw the egg sac around behind
them wherever they GO, and their appearance
ws % has s1Ssd
the young are Matched. the female Is said to
brood over them somewhat as q hen does: In
ae
q shs
NOUN aud most
scots frequent becomes in time impregnated
80 poaesta sSss sensbg sets dsses
Of provisions that have been left In larders In
Hnother Kind OF II poach Is officially known as
e Il n Is
freely In daylight, and for real solid meals pre-
sisf sess qnsa
books 1t will not touch.
smaller han the hsy
qss sn 'hs' so os IT sd
Fully as vorasious are sort of reaches that
infest ships. It sometimes OCCURS that the
sde
essary to destroy houses that had been made
There are in al some 500 different r9eohes
that have been caught and catalogued. Alarge
beCIlOu OI LILO WOElu Ii BILL 10 near
With all his manifold vices It Is pleasant to
know that the roach ts not altogether bad.
latest and ugliest roach that ever spoiled
custard pie one sentiment sprung from the
heayen;born heart Of those fiery swords from
meIab 9asS
Without end, and an uncounted hosts Of break
fasts made odious by his unweloome presence
be charged up against him; though many fire.
sides have been desolated by him and number
loss pantries LAID waste. yet let there. n Just:
righteousness-the roach eats bedbugs.
Many things eat reaches. Birds and all in:
6ectivorous animals are especially fond OF
them. Hedgehogs dote on them In England
hedgehogs arc sometimes Kept In Kitchens on
purpose to devour the reaches. It is also said
that in the Isle Of France there exists g sort Of
custom Of this wasp to prowl around until It
secs q roach; then It stops and both insects
eye each other intently for q moment. In an
instant the wasp Syringe forward. seizes the
bending its abdomen underneath. pisrcss the
roach with its fatal sting. Then the wasp let's
go and walks away to rest a bit. The roach,
after meditatinnE for while upon It's sinful
down and dies. Presently the wasp comes